Russia

NATO's Steadfast Defender exercises mark return to Cold War schemes, Russia says

Jan 21 (Reuters) - The scale of NATO's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises mark an "irrevocable return" of the alliance to Cold War schemes, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the state RIA news agency in remarks published on Sunday.

NATO said on Thursday it was launching its largest exercise since the Cold War involving some 90,000 troops, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance's eastern flank if a conflict were to flare up with a "near-peer" adversary.

Russian charter plane with 6 onboard crashes in Afghanistan

MOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Russian charter jet with six people onboard crashed in Afghanistan on its way to Moscow from India via Uzbekistan, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed on Sunday.

Russia's Investigation Commission on Sunday launched an investigation into the accident, while Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the Russian embassy in Afghanistan is now cooperating with local authorities on the aftermath of the crash.

Russia says NATO's massive exercises signal return to Cold War

MOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Sunday that NATO's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises signify a final and irrevocable return to the Cold War schemes.

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, announced earlier that the exercises, scheduled for next week, will be the largest in decades and will last for several months.

"These exercises are another component of the hybrid war that the West has waged against Russia," Grushko said.

Russia says its forces carried out 17 group strikes past week, weapons included Kinzhals

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/: The Russian Armed Forces carried out 17 group strikes, with weapons including Kinzhal missiles, on Ukrainian defense enterprises from January 6-12, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a daily bulletin of the special military operation.

US’ 'toxic' reaction validates Moscow’s position on strategic stability — Russian MFA

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/:  Washington's "toxic reaction" to Moscow's stance on talks about strategic stability serves to affirm that Russia is in the right, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

She was commenting on criticism from Pranay Vaddi, a senior director for arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation at the National Security Council under US President Joe Biden.

More than 1,000 rally in Russian region in continuing protests over activist’s jailing

MOSCOW (AP) — More than 1,000 people rallied in the Russian region of Bashkortostan on Friday, continuing a series of protests triggered by the conviction and sentencing of a local activist and handing a new challenge to the Kremlin.

Head of Russian region denounces 'traitors' after rare protest

Russia Jan 18 (Reuters) - The head of one of Russia's biggest ethnically mixed republics accused what he called extremists and traitors on Thursday of trying to bring about its secession, a day after police used tear gas and batons to break up a rare demonstration.

The clashes took place in a small town in Bashkortostan, a republic of 4.1 million people in the Urals Mountains, where a leading rights activist was sentenced on Wednesday to four years in a penal colony.

Russia extends free toll road access for electric vehicles

ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Electric vehicles can continue to drive free of charge on federal toll highways in 2024, the Russian government's press service said Thursday.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, who supervises the federal project "Electric and hydrogen car," said that the privilege for electric vehicles will resume on Jan. 19.

Russian lawmaker calls for strengthening ties with growing number of global allies

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/: Russia is gaining allies around the world, as most countries support the idea of a multipolar world, so Russian parliamentarians need to build and develop relations with them, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said, speaking at the first plenary session of the chamber's spring meeting.

Putin meets with Russian, North Korean foreign ministers

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with the foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea, Sergey Lavrov and Choe Son Hui, who earlier in the day held talks in Moscow, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin received at the Kremlin DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui," Peskov said.

According to him, the top diplomats informed the Russian president of the agreements reached.

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